Son claims Zizzi refused him a table on Mother’s Day as mum wasn’t with him – as she died three years ago

Murray Goulder wanted to grab a quick bite to eat at Zizzi in Portsmouth on Mother's Day after visiting the grave of his mum, Brenda, but says he felt 'patronised' by the response

Anna Slater

3 Apr 2019, 17:06

Updated: 3 Apr 2019, 18:54

A DISGUSTED son claims he was refused a table at Zizzi on Mother’s Day because he didn’t turn up with a mum – as she died three years ago.

Murray Goulder, 39, from Crawley, West Sussex, was visiting Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, with his wife Karen on Sunday after visiting mum Brenda's grave in Snell Hatch Cemetery, Crawley.

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Murray Goulder and his mum, Brenda, who died three years agoCredit: Mercury Press

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Murray, 39, was with his wife Karen at the timeCredit: Mercury Press

The couple had driven 60 miles to get to the tourist hotspot where Murray’s mum, Brenda, used to take him before she died of a triple aneurysm in 2016, and wanted to grab some food before the long journey back.

But furious HR attendance manager Murray claims staff at Zizzi’s told him he couldn’t eat there because they were ‘only taking Mother’s Day bookings’ – despite there being 'at least four' free tables.

'CASHING IN ON A SPECIAL DAY'

He said: “I was confused and shocked because there were at least two tables free inside and another two outside, so I asked if we could book a table for later on but they insisted that they were only accepting customers celebrating Mother's Day.

“I thought ‘they are just cashing in on a special day which is not always special for everyone’.

“Some people aren’t lucky enough to have their mum around. What about the people who have lost their mum?

I told them 'my mother is dead'

Murray Goulder

"That shouldn't mean they can't go about their day.

“I told them my mother is dead, and I said it loud enough so that people could hear me in the hope that might put some pressure on them to react appropriately but she just said ‘I’m really sorry about that lovey’.

“I thought ‘that’s disgusting’ – you can’t talk to people like that. I felt quite patronised and I was really wound up."

SHOCKED AND HURT

Murray said he was left hurt by what happened and claims there was no signage to indicate that the restaurant was only taking special bookings on March 31.

The 39-year-old, who has severe epilepsy, claims he even asked if the restaurant could make any special exceptions to the rule for disabled people, but was shocked to still be refused.

Since the incident, Murray has blasted the chain in a private message on Facebook but says he has not yet received a response.

“I asked if we could sit outside because it was a lovely sunny day, but it was still a no.

“After everything, we ended up in a coffee shop with a piece of cake. Not the meal we were after, but they did not discriminate.”

A spokesman for Zizzi told the MailOnline: "At Zizzi we welcome everyone to dine with us and are happy to accommodate walk-ins to all of our restaurants.

"Sunday 31st March (Mother's Day) was one of the busiest days of the year and we are sorry that we were unable to seat Mr. Goulder on this occasion as all of our tables were fully booked.

"Our guests are able to book both online and over the phone ahead of dining with us and on busy days of the year, advance booking is necessary in most restaurants.

"If we have tables available, our Zizzi staff will always accommodate as many walk-ins as possible."

The Sun Online has also contacted Zizzi for comment.

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Zizzi in Portsmouth, where the incident happenedCredit: Mercury Press

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